Le Flores

The village of Saint-Hilaire-d’Ozilhan, with a thousand souls to its name, its big bell tower, its Romanesque chapel… and of course its quaint little bistro! Located between Uzès and Avignon, the adorable Le Florès (patterned tiling, whitewashed wooden rafters, flowers on all the tables) is the perfect spot before or after a dip at the foot of the Pont du Gard. Our advice? Grab a seat on a Baumann-style chair inside or, better yet, on the terrace in the shade of a tall pine tree or under the restaurant’s striped awning, and relax while watching a group of school children making their way to the school cafeteria, all while savoring the unfussy cuisine from Perpignan-native Emmanuelle Lachaud (ex-Les Insolents in Uzès and La Courtille in Tavel), who shines a spotlight on well-chosen local ingredients: meat raised by Soulier in the same village, trout from Mont Lozère, sheep’s milk tomme cheese from Belvézet… The day we went for lunch, we had all of the following: Mediterranean telline clams subtly seasoned by wild garlic butter; cheeky andouillette from La Maison Braillon cooked to golden perfection and served with creamy mashed potatoes on the side, with a well in the center filled with a rich red wine reduction; before a perfectly sweet pavlova, which combined delicate meringue, silky whipped cream and both raw and stewed Carpentras strawberries. // Marcellin Caillou

FEELING THIRSTY? : Quality clean wines: a viognier from Rémi Curtil in Blauzac (€4 a glass), a rosé primeur from Éric Pfifferling in Tavel (€20 a bottle), or Coqueyron Haut, a grenache from the aforementioned Frères Soulier (€33). For something nonalcoholic, there’s cola or organic sparkling lemonade from La Maison Meneau (€3.50 for 330 ml).
PRICE: : À la carte €23-37 (lunch) and €33-45 (dinner).